Just Once
by MayGirl85
Summary: Just once, Seiya wanted to be first in Serena's eyes. Serena/Darien, unrequited Serena/Seiya.


Disclaimer:

I dont own Sailor Moon at all. Not even one DVD.

**Just Once**

Seiya fell to the ground in a dejected heap, the effects of time travel taking its toll on his body. The portal closed behind him with a whoosh, and he quickly rose, dusting himself off. He knew he had only an hour or two at the most to complete his mission before they came for him. But it would be worth it to just once be the centre of her attention.

He made his way through the streets of Tokyo with ease, familiar with the surroundings. He passed the school where he had first met her, the corner where he had teased her, where he had first called her dumpling and where she had ultimately rejected him in favour of another. How that memory stung, but he understood it. She belonged with him, it was fate, destiny and everything else meant to be under the sun. But for just one moment in time he wanted to know that he'd had her attention before her heart had been completely captured by another.

That other, Darien Chiba, Prince Endymion, would by now know of Seiya's transgression and would be furiously hunting him down through time. Seiya couldn't blame the man, she was a special woman. He would feel the same.

He finally arrived at his destination, the Crown Arcade. He knew she would be here, she was always here, and his assumption was correct for indeed there she sat before him on a stool talking to the blond man Andrew.

Seiya took a step forward and froze, seeing a familiar mop of black hair on a stool near hers. It was Endymion. But when the man turned to face him with a blank look on his face Seiya relaxed. It was not Endymion, not yet. Remembering time was still not on his side he strode purposefully forward to stand behind Serena, unaware of Darien's curious gaze upon him.

Seiya cleared his throat, "Excuse me miss," he said softly, tapping his finger on Serena's shoulder.

She whirled around on the stool to face him and he couldn't help but stare. She was beautiful, as always. Though her features were less matured than he knew they would become, she would always and forever, past, present and future, hold that light that radiated in her eyes from the depths of her soul.

"I apologise for interrupting you. But you see, I have seen you from afar and I must tell you that you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen," he said slowly, watching her reaction carefully, not wanting to scare her.

She gaped at him, too shocked to speak. Seiya continued.

"Unfortunately I am leaving very, very soon, and it is my dearest wish to share a drink with you before I go. Would you do me the honour?" he asked humbly, hoping against hope that she would accept.

But of course she did. Serena's heart melted at his forlorn face and she couldn't help but oblige him. She ordered a large chocolate milkshake and Andrew, who had been standing there gaping at Seiya's speech, quickly turned away to make her order.

"Who are you?" Serena asked softly, looking up at him with bashful eyes.

"Caleb," Seiya answered, knowing he couldn't tell her his real name. It was bad enough that he had come to the past in the first place.

"I'm Serena," she smiled, taking the finished milkshake from Andrew's hands.

"Thank you for taking the time to have a drink with me Serena," Seiya said sincerely, knowing his time was almost up.

They sat there in companionable silence as the minutes ticked by. Seiya simply happy to be with her knowing he, for once, had her full attention; Serena simply perplexed by this very cute guy's sudden attentions to her, especially since she herself felt so coltish and awkward most of the time.

But all good things must come to an end, and out of the corner of his eye, Seiya saw a familiar mop of black hair coming toward the Arcade through the windows. He stood up from the stool and bowed to Serena, knowing his time had come. Then, kneeling in front of her on one knee he took her hands in his and began to speak what was in his heart. Something he could never have said to her while she had Endymion.

"Serena, you may not believe me now but you will and soon. You are the strongest, most beautiful soul I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Yet as much as I dearly wish I could be the one who claims your heart, I know I never will be the man you love with all your heart – in fact you will laugh one day when you fall in love with him, I promise you. So on the day we meet again, I hope you look back on this day and understand that I just needed you to look at me just once without thinking of him. So thank you, for everything, thank you."

"Are you quite done?" a mocking voice challenged behind him, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. "What the hell did you think you could accomplish by coming here?" Endymion sneered.

"You know as well as I do that I could never accomplish anything. It's always been _you_," Seiya growled back.

"And don't you forget it!" Endymion snapped, "Now get yourself back to Trista. Consider yourself lucky a certain someone cares for you enough to beg me _not_ to kill you!" Endymion growled and, upon seeing the light in Seiya's eyes from the knowledge that Serenity had pleaded for his safety Endymion gave him a rough shove toward the door.

Endymion watched Seiya go, his anger begging for release in the form of beating the scumbag senseless for his transgression. He'd broken a dozen laws coming back to this time, and pissed Endymion off to no end. But Serenity, with her marshmallow heart, had begged him not to hurt her friend. Pfft.

"Should have killed him," Endymion muttered, incredibly unhappy with the man's infatuation with his wife.

He turned back to the young blonde girl who had been staring at the scene open mouthed the whole while. He sighed, she was as beautiful as the day he had met her. Which, by the look of things, had only been a few weeks ago in this time.

"I'll see you in a few years Serena," he said, stepping forward to place a kiss on her hand before turning and leaving with all the flourish of his old-alter-ego Tuxedo Mask, wanting to outdo Seiya's previous simpering performance. He walked out of the Arcade, leaving behind one confused, though somewhat starry-eyed, odango-ed blonde, one amused blonde Arcade manager and one incredulous ebony haired hero.


End file.
